> writes:

>L Beck a écrit :
>
>> Try steaming with chicken broth instead of water.
>
>Won't do a thing. The water evaporates and cooks the vegetables, the
>broth parts stays in the pan and doesn't impart its taste.
>
>Whatever seasonings you want to add to steamed food must be added
>to the food itself (before or after cooking, depending), not to the water.

Geeze, you are so sure of yourself...

That's not true, no truth to your assertation whatsoever. The volatile oils
contained in spices/herbs and other flavorings (ie. citrus, ginger, etc.) will
also vaporize and will permeate the food being steamed, imparting their
flavors. I often add citrus peel to steaming water, which definitely imparts
flavor... in fact just yesterday I steamed an entire head of cauliflower.
Adding the two halves of a squeezed lemon, a few grinds of white pepper, a bay
leaf, and a few gratings of nutmeg to the water imparted a wonderful flavor,
permeated throughout, an even better flavor than drizzling lemon and grating
nutmeg after cooking, more like the cauliflower was perfumed, and no trace of
nutmeg specks or it's strong flavor. All I added after steaming was a bit of
butter and a sprinkling of salt... those would not have vaporized.

However I don't see much point is steaming food with chicken broth. Although
some element of the seasonings used in the production of the broth will
vaporize and flavor the food it seems to me a waste if the broth will then be
tossed down the drain, and since chicken would in fact flavor the broth one may
as well poach the chicken in the broth and then use the ensuing broth which
would then be more potent than it began... again, it sure would be a waste to
steam chicken with chicken broth and then pour the liquid down the drain.
There, I've just soundly and roundly dispatched two more kitchen imbeciles...
two at a time... damn, I'm good! But not much challenge, Europeans are the
world's least knowlegeable cooks... really, how much does one need to know to
cook squid and snails.<G>

Mirriam Webster

volatile oil
noun
Date: 1800
: an oil that vaporizes readily; especially : ESSENTIAL OIL
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---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =---
---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =---
Sheldon
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"Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."